This Mat & Chat was hosted on Sunday, May 17th, 2020 on Instagram Live. The chat followed a 25 minute mat workout.
Victoria: So guys! Thank you so much for tuning in. This is Tela Anderson below me, she is a classical Pilates instructor at Real Pilates, where I also teach in New York City. That was so amazing!
I want to start totally at the beginning with you, Tela. We already described our relationship- Tela works at Real Pilates, and that’s how I know Tela. She was not at Real Pilates when I went through the teacher-training program, I think because your son had just been born. She took a little break.
Tela: Yeah, I had a newborn baby, and he was a preemie, so he needed a little extra time and attention, so I took a rather long maternity leave.
Victoria: Yeah, rather long, but obviously Tela came back stronger and better than ever, because she just kicked all of our asses! Juan [Estrada] was my teacher-trainer in the program, and Tela is now a teacher trainer, but we’re going to talk more about what it means to be a Lead Teacher Trainer in a bit. So to start, I want you to take us from the beginning. We’ve been doing a lot of back-and-forth zig-zagging, but I want to keep it strict to a regular timeline today. I know you have a dance background, so why don’t you start with when you started dance- at what age? And then how that led you to Pilates and the army, which I definitely want to talk about. But let’s start with dance.
Tela: Okay, so I started dancing when I was four years old, and I also started gymnastics when I was four years old. I actually became an elite gymnast- I traveled around the country competing, and gymnastics wound up being what I was doing until I was 13, and then I had an injury. So I injured myself and I had to choose between dance and gymnastics and I chose dance. That’s when I started dancing. I went on to go to performing arts high school at North Carolina School of the Arts and then when I was 16, I decided that I also wanted to pursue modern dance, so I started training at Alvin Ailey.
Victoria: This was in North Carolina?
Tela: No, sorry. So I went from North Carolina School of the Arts in high school, but the next year in high school I decided I wanted to go to Alvin Ailey. I started studying at Alvin Ailey as well, in high school. I had a back injury when I was 17 and had to take a whole year off. In that year, I decided that I wanted to join the military!
Victoria: Woohoo! Was there anything that inspired that, specifically?
Tela: You know, it was just something that I wanted to do. I just wanted to do it. I can’t really explain it; I was 17- so we’re thinking of the mind of a 17/18 year old. But I remember thinking: “You know what? I’ll go into the military, travel the world.” I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to come back to dance, which I did- I did come back to dancing. But I thought: “You know what? Why not? I’ll travel the world, they’ll pay for college” and so I did it. I joined the army.
Victoria: What did your parents think of that?
Tela: Um, they weren’t really happy about that. *laughs* It wasn’t really something I discussed first. It was definitely something where they were like: “Why?”
Victoria: *laughs* Okay!
Tela: So anyways, after I got out of the military, I decided that I wanted to dance again, which was kind of crazy, because that often doesn’t happen- so I went back to Alvin Ailey.
Victoria: Wait how long were you in the military?
Tela: So I was only in the military for about two years, but then I also served in active reserve but I was never called back. After serving, I came back to dancing in New York. I got a full scholarship to Alvin Ailey, the Judith Jamison Scholarship, which is like the highest scholarship you can get. So I started studying dance again, and there went the rest of my career. I was a professional dancer then for the rest of my 20s. In the middle of that is when I found Pilates. I was dancing and I made my money dancing, and I was a group fitness instructor. I taught a lot of “Step & Sculpt” and “Booty Burn” classes, but I had always wanted to become a Pilates teacher, I just never had the opportunity.
I was dancing one day at rehearsal and I injured my knee very badly, I tore my meniscus and was out of work in New York. I decided that was the perfect time
to pursue my Pilates!
Victoria: How old were you at this point?
Tela: I was about 24/25. I happened to meet someone from a place called Core Pilates that had literally just opened up. They were going to open up a training program, and so I just went in and did it! I mean, best thing I ever did really. I’m thankful for that knee injury because it brought me to Pilates. Which, I should say, as a testament to Pilates, I was supposed to have knee surgery, but I put it off until after the program. It was kind of like a once-in-a-lifetime chance to do this program, so I postponed my knee surgery and guess what? By the end of my certification I didn’t need knee surgery. Here I am today, never had knee surgery.
Victoria: Oh my God, that’s remarkable! And we’re still working on that hernia, too, right?
Tela: Yeah, still working on that hernia?
Victoria: But Pilates has made a big difference for you, no?
Tela: Absolutely. All I can say is- and you know it, and I know it- Pilates really works. I have avoided a knee surgery, a back surgery, just by doing Pilates. It allows me to continue to do other things that I love. I do a lot of cross-training-
Victoria: You’re a big runner.
Tela: Yup, I’m a big runner. I love to run. I’m still able to run, even with the knee injury. I do high-intensity classes, HITT classes. I attribute all of that to Pilates.
Victoria: Oh yeah. I don’t think I’ve ever been stronger in my life than now, especially during quarantine, but in general, as a Pilates instructor. The strength that you build in these accessory muscles that you never really paid attention to before is just so amazing. You become so much stronger and more of a well-rounded athlete. If you just run, or you just do HITT, Pilates evens out what you don’t already focus on, and I think that’s really important.
Tela: Absolutely. I used to be very injury-prone as a dancer, but I can say now that the reason I don’t get injured with all of the running and HITT classes that I do is Pilates. I have one rule, and this is the rule I stick by: whatever I do, I have to do Pilates more than anything else. If I want to run 3 times, then I have to do Pilates 4 times.
Victoria: That’s a good rule! I don’t enjoy running, but I do run. And I also spin, when I’m able. Out her in Montauk I bought a road bike and I’m trying to still do something, but I always tell myself that my Pilates counters everything else. It counteracts it, evens it out. You need Pilates to put you back in place. All of these other things are good, but Pilates is just going to give you this overall well-rounded body that you want.
Tela: I’ll tell you a funny story, on that topic. I also study with Brett Howard. I always say that my mentor is Brett Howard. How I came to study with him, is that after I finished my certification at Core Pilates, there was a woman renting space there and she said: “You need to meet my teacher” and I said: “Well who is that?” And that’s how I met Brett, and I went to study with him after that.
The funny part is, that I was doing so much Pilates at the time, and I was teaching and studying with Brett, and I had already done this other certification, and when I finished studying with Brett, I remember thinking: “I need a break. I need to not do Pilates for a while.” So I took an entire four weeks off, and I literally limped back into the studio.
Victoria: Wow, so Pilates made that much of a difference for you.
Tela: I’m not even joking. When I came back after four weeks, I limped back in. So you know, I do Pilates more than I do anything else.
Victoria: At this point, for sure. I have no excuse to not be rolling out a mat once a day and finding time to work out, especially during quarantine.
So there’s one missing link that led you to Real Pilates. So what’s that?
Tela: I always say that I came to Real Pilates by accident. I had not always intended to work there. I was doing my own thing, I was studying with Brett, I had my own clients and I rented space. Life was great. But an apprentice of mine, now a teacher, but she had once been an apprentice of mine because I was a teacher trainer at Core Pilates as well, called me and said: “Hey, I’m working for Alycea Ungaro at Real Pilates and she’s hiring.” And I said: “That’s great! I’ve read her books, and I know of her and I’d love to meet her- but I don’t really want a job right now.” And she said: “Okay fine, but I’ll give her your number.” And Alycea called me and I was like: “Oh cool!” I’m talking to this woman on the phone, and I had read all of her books-
Victoria: I know, she’s like a Pilates celeb!
Tela: It was really cool. She said, “Come in and interview” and I said: “Okay, fine.” But again, I still never had the intention of taking the job, I actually just wanted to meet her.
Victoria: *laughs* Get the autograph.
Tela: Yeah, basically! So I went to the interview and we just ended up talking and really getting along, and she seemed like a great person to work for, so I was like: “Why not try a day and see what happens?” So I started working a day, then it became two, and now I’m full-time. I always say, it was an accident, but 13 years later I’m still here.
Victoria: Wow, 13 years. That’s crazy! And in those thirteen years, you’ve transitioned- you were already a teacher of teachers at Core, but 13 years ago we didn’t have a teacher-training program at Real Pilates. So within the last 5 years, that’s really built up and taken off, so now you are a Lead Teacher Trainer and a Master Instructor at Real Pilates. What is that like? What is it like to teach teachers. And the training program at RP- what is that to you?
Tela: Well, I absolutely love teaching teachers. I think when it comes to teaching teachers, you really do have a standard to uphold for yourself and then also for yours students. Whether you’re teaching contemporary or classical- and I’m teaching classical- your job is to teach your apprentices classical Pilates the way Joe taught it. You have to hold yourself to high standards and stay in that frame. But it’s kind of amazing, I really love seeing the start–to-finish. I really love seeing someone come in, and they know nothing, right? And I love watching each and every step, and then at one point, they’re working on the floor next to me. So it’s funny, especially if I know I trained them, I can hear a little of myself in them. There are little pieces of me all around.
What I love is that when you have Alycea’s training program, you create this big family. This big network of teachers and it’s nice. I love the community, I love adding more people to the community.
Victoria: Yeah, and I think something that Alix [Schaubhut] said yesterday that I really think is so great, is that Real Pilates to me never has been- and I don’t think will ever become- a really competitive environment. I really do think we’re all in it for the better of the clientele and the studio. I always encourage my clients to work with someone else, like: “Oh, I’m away next week, but here are 4 instructors who I think you would vibe well with or that would challenge you, or that you should work with instead.” So I really do think in that sense, it’s a family. I have pieces of Juan and Keren, and Alycea of course, because they trained me and we carry on pieces of one another. I often see apprentices watching me teach, and then a few days later I’ll see them doing this one thing that I know that I do, and I’m like: “Oh my God, that’s so cool!” So I think having a teacher-training program active in a studio is of great benefit to both the instructors and the apprentices. It’s really cool to see them working, and it really holds you accountable. You’re not going to do some random BS if an apprentice is staring at you.
Tela: Right, it really does. It really does hold you accountable, because you are training them. They’re going to go out in the world and say: “Tela Anderson taught me this, Alycea Ungaro taught me this.” So I hope it’s correct.
Victoria: Yeah, exactly. You don’t want to put your name on something and then Alycea comes and says: “Tela taught you what?!” Worst-case scenario.
Okay, so I have two more questions. I think they kind of go hand-in-hand, so that’s why I saved them for last, Kirstin, from Pure Pilates is Ilkley, somewhere in the UK, asked this question for me to ask you. She said: “What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from having to teach like we are at the moment? What do you hate and what will you keep?”
Tela: Interesting! That’s a great question. What do I love? I actually find it interesting that we’re all doing a lot more Pilates. We’re all just still doing what we love, we’re just doing more of it. I think I’ll keep it- I do think I’ll keep teaching virtually in the future. But what I do miss is being able to touch my clients. That tactile cueing is a huge thing. I definitely do miss that. I can’t reach through a screen and fix something or help you find something deeper. So yeah, I do think the virtual is a good addition, but I definitely think we do need the hands-on, tactile cueing.
Victoria: I definitely miss that. I think I’ve always been really verbal and visual in my teaching. If they don’t understand it, I’ve normally been able to be like: “No, this” and put them in place. But now, I’m like: “Imagine that my arm is bar and I’ve placed it around your abdominals, my palm is at your low back.” I’m really trying to give imagery. I’m thinking to myself: how can I describe this in a way that makes sense to them.
Tela: Yeah, I’ve definitely gotten more creative in my verbal cueing. You can’t reach through a screen. But you can say: “Hey! What if my arm were there?” as if you were tactile cueing them. I’ve also found ways to do apparatus exercises with pieces of furniture, all kinds of stuff!
Victoria: Also, most of it can be translated to the mat. Coincidentally Daniel [Lyon] just texted me and I’m thinking you know, Daniel has his book Pilates for Men and in it, he has the entire reformer order for the mat. It’s such a good resource. I’ve read through it before, and in this time it’s like: “Wow! You really couldn’t have planned better for this.” People miss the reformer, they miss the apparatus, and it’s our duty to translate these exercises. Working on them on the mat will make you much stronger when you bring it all back to the apparatus at the end of this.
Tela: And that’s the beauty of Pilates, it all works together.
Victoria: Pilates is a system!
Tela: You’re right! It’s a system and it all works together. I’m lucky enough that I can get into a studio once a week and practice, but I’ve been doing a lot mat work and I love it.
Victoria: Yeah, it makes a big difference. Okay, so this does go hand-in-hand with this: Mat work! I feel like you and I and many other online instructors may have been a little bit more prepared for a moment like this because you are on Alo Moves! Tela and I filmed last year for Alo Moves, which was an incredible experience for me, and for you as well. I’m really thankful that I had that opportunity because that was my first time really planning pure mat workouts that weren’t just the hundred through to push-ups. So talk us through your experience filming with Alo.
Tela: Filming with Alo was an amazing experience from star tot finish. Everyone that works there and that works with you was so helpful. I came into it very naïve. I didn’t know how to plan out a virtual workout. They were really helpful with everything and every process that there was. I had a great time filming with them, but I will admit, it was really hard. You’re filming let’s say 4 workouts in a day. And we all know that Pilates is hard, so filming 4 Pilates workouts in one day- and you know, you’re taking photos-
Victoria: I thought the photos were the hardest part, honestly! The photographers and videographers are great, great people, but they don’t know anything about Pilates. So they’d be like: “What’s that one where your legs are over your head?” And I’d be like: “Teaser? Or Jackknife?” And they’d be like: “Yes, do that!” and I’d get up in jackknife and they’d be like: “Great! Can you hold that for 5 more minutes?”
Tela: These people were so amazing at their job. They would see me holding a pose and shaking and try and get in there quick, quick, quick- rushing to get that shot. It was really hard because you wouldn’t normally be filming four Pilates classes in one day. I had such a great time with it, I loved it. I hope to do it again
Victoria: When I messed up, I had a word I was supposed to say. Did you pick a word?
Tela: I had a word. Kerfuffle.
Victoria: Kerfuffle?! That’s so long! It’s like 7 syllables.
Tela: I used it quite often.
Victoria: They told me: “Usually people use ‘kombucha’” and I was like “What the F? That is super no,” so I said: “How about sushi?” So I’d be mid-open leg rocker, and be screaming: “Ah, sushi!” It’s hard. Some of them do practice, and they do know. I really hope we both get the opportunity to film with them again. It was also nice to travel!
Tela: Yeah, no it was great to travel and it was really awesome. I actually had some of the crew doing the workout with me on the side. While they were filming, my makeup artist and a few others were doing the workout with me as I was filming. We would kind of laugh because I’d get to a hard part and they’d get it. I had a lot of fun. It was great.
Tela’s Speed Round
City or beach?
Sweet or savory?
Cat or dog?
Adventure or comfort?
Books or movies?
Nights in or nights out?
Summer or winter?
Tea or coffee?
Early bird or night owl? (but early bird for work!)
Pizza or pasta?
Europe or Asia?
Spring or fall?
Breakfast or dinner?
Spicy or mild?